Method and means of improving laydown and writing characteristics of fibrous points and points obtained thereby

In a method continually producing elongated elements adapted for use in writing instruments, said elements being composed of a plurality of parallel strands of yarns differing in denier per filament, bonded into a porous but strong element, the steps of:

• maintaining a predetermined polar position for each yarn during manufacture and bonding, whereby the size and location of ink-conveying channels in the cross-section of the elements and the writing characteristics thereof are uniformly and positively controlled and maintained, including:
• preheating the strands while out of contact with each other to a temperature of between about 110.degree. C and 125.degree. C without sintering or incipient fusion, and
• providing a plurality of parallel open-ended, metal-walled passageways including axial and circumaxial passageways, each passageway being adapted to receive and permit a strand to be easily pulled therethrough with negligible contact with the walls:
• discharging the preheated sorted individual strands onto a first conical surface surrounded by a conical heated enclosing surface spaced from the first, said enclosing surface leading to an entrance to an adjacent sintering tube coaxially aligned with and forwardly positioned with respect to the conical surfaces;
• said conical surfaces bringing the various preheated and axially moving strands into initial contact in relative polar positions established substantially at the entrance to said sintering tube by the array of pathways and then drawing the contacting and positioned strands through the sintering tube to lightly sinter the moving yarns in said established polar position.